Tap for drums



June 19, 1951 c. w. PAULSEN 2,557,461

TAP FOR DRUMS Filed July 1, 1948 INVENTOR C. lapaulssn BY MM ATTORNEYSPatented June 19, 1951 UNITED ears DFFICE.

2 Claims. 1

This invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a noveltap for oil drums or the like; the purpose of the tap being tofacilitate the attachment of a spigot valve to a drum preparatory todrawing off the liquid contents thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tap for drums, which isdesigned so that the screw plug on a drum can be removed and the spigotvalve substituted without turning the drum on end, with attendant manualstrain, as is now necessary to prevent spillage of the liquid contentsduring the valve attaching operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tap for drums, whichprevents fiow of liquid contents from the drum, upon removal of thescrew plug, even though the drum be resting on its side; this beingaccomplished by the use, in the usual tapped outlet orifice, of a novelfitting, which functions as above, when the drum is rolled on its sideto a position with the outlet orifice at the top of the drum end. Thescrew plug can then be removed and the spigot valve substituted withoutspillage or leakage of the drum contents.

An additional object of the invention is to produce a tap for drums,which is simple in structure, and economical to manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical andconvenient tap for drums, and one which will be exceedingly effectivefor the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the drum including the novelfitting; the drum being in position for removal of the screw plug, butwith the latter still in place in the fitting.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but shows the valve as substituted for thescrew plug; the valve being shown in full lines in its position wheninitially attached to the drum, and shown in dotted lines in itsposition of use after a half turn of said drum.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, of the fitting,detached.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral I indicates an oil drum or the like, which drumincludes an end 2 having a tapped outlet orifice 3 adjacent the edgethereof.

In conventional practice a screw plug is threaded into the tappedorifice 3 after filling of the drum I. Thereafter, at its destination,and when it is desired to attach a spigot valve to the drum, it has beennecessary to up-end the drum so that the drum end 2 is uppermost. Thisis the only way in which the screw plug could be removed, forsubstitution of the valve, without spillage of the drum contents. Notonly was it inconvenient to up-end the drum, but it caused great manualstrain, for the reason that a. filled oil drum often approximates fourhundred pounds in weight.

The present invention makes it possible to accomplish the substitutionof the spigot valve for the screw plug while the drum remains on itsside; the invention being embodied in a novel fitting, indicatedgenerally at 4.

The fitting 4 comprises an annular body 5 having a reduced-diameter,tubular neck 6 projecting axially inwardly therefrom.

The annular body 5 is tapped, as at I, and the tubular neck 6 is tapped,as at 8.

Additionally, the tubular neck 6 is threaded, as at 9; this threadingmatching the tapped outlet orifice 3.

A street L, indicated at I I], is screwed, at its threaded end ll, intothe tapped portion 8 of the tubular neck 6; the opposite end of saidstreet L remaining open, as at I2.

The above described fitting A is mounted on the drum 4 by screwing theexternally threaded portion 9 of the tubular neck 6 into the tappedoutlet orifice 3 of said drum. When the fitting 4 is brought up tight,the street L II] is disposed so that its open end I 2 faces, and isrelatively closed to, the adjacent side I3 of the drum, as clearly shownin Fig. 1.

Thereafter, when the drum I is filled, a conventional screw plug I4 isrun into the tapped portion I of the annular body 5 to prevent loss ofcontents from the drum during transport thereof.

At its destination, and when it is desired to substitute a hand valve orspigot I5 for the screw plug I i, the drum I is first rolled on its sideuntil the fitting II is uppermost, or at the top of the drum end 2. Inthis position the drum may be blocked or cradled if desired.

With the fitting 4 at the top of the drum end 2, the open end !2 of thestreet L H3 is above the surface I6 of the liquid contents of the drumI; there being an air pocket I'I above said surface with which said openend I2 of the street L communicates. This air pocket II results for thereason that in filling drums, a certain amount 3 of air is permitted toremain therein to permit of expansion of the contents.

With the open end l2 of the street L ID in communication with the airpocket H, the screw plug l4 can be removed and the hand valve or spigot[S substituted without any spillage or leakage of the drum contents.

After the threaded intake end of the valve l5 has been screwed into thefitting, the drum is rolled a half turn to place said valve in theposition of use shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The described fitting thus provides a very convenient and ready devicefor facilitating the attachment of a spigot valve to an oil drum or thelike, while the drum remains on its side; yet preventing spillage orleakage while the valve is being substituted for the screw plug. As willbe seen from Fig. 3, the size of the tapped threading 1 is the same asthat of threads 9, so that the screw plug originally used can beretained for service in the new fitting.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful,and upon which Letters Patent are desired, is:

a tapped orifice in one end adjacent the edge thereof, a tap comprisinga passaged fitting externally threaded to screw into the orifice, theouter end of the fitting being internally threaded to alternately andselectively receive a screw plug and the threaded intake end of aspigot. and a passage member rigid with the fitting and projecting intothe drum when the fitting is mounted in the orifice and having an openinner end then disposed in facing relation to the side wall of the drumnearest said edge in closely spaced relation to said Wall whereby toallow of the initial removal of the plug from and mounting of the spigotin the fitting without spillage of the contents of the drum when filledand when the drum is turned so as to face said open end of the passagemember upwardly, while allowing of the withdrawal of such contentsthrough the spigot when the drum is rotated to dispose said open enddownwardly.

2. A tap as in claim 1, in which the internal and external threads ofthe fitting are the same size.

CLARENCE W. PAULSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,248,720 Rosenfeld Dec. 4, 19171,997,942 Metzgar Apr. 16, 1935 2,038,676 Readeker Apr. 28, 19362,171,302 Conner Aug. 29, 1939

